Hehe enjoy this break from upload schedule.

Actually this may impact my upload schedule greatly and I might go silent because this was supposed to cover 33 days whoops-

Because some of you may not have read "The Law," there will be small flashbacks involved in this chapter. Since flashbacks are hard to distinguish sometimes, I'll use a ~~~ to separate them from the present and a ~ to separate back-to-back flashbacks. This also starts with a flashback sequence, so just remember that, please. 

Note that the flashbacks will not be identical to "The Law," since I can't remember everything exactly.

Also, since I don't remember where "The Law" left off, I'm starting the present a week after Dust was taken in by the Outertale brothers.

Enjoy your influx of angst, 'cause I'm sayin' that this particular story has a lot.

~~~~~

"Do you have to hurt him so much?" Outer didn't like it.

"It's not in my hands." Ink frowned; his acting was nearly unmatched. "The judges decided on it; I am merely the tool by which their wishes are carried out."

"But he's been through so much already..can't we cut it off early?"

"He isn't broken yet; the terms are until he breaks."

"He looks broken to me.." 

"He isn't.."

"Can't you at least tone it down a little? He doesn't have to wear that around his neck..he isn't an animal.."

"Majority vote - he won't be permitted to take it off until he breaks. I promise that as soon as he is broken, he will be taken to the next meeting, at which point, he will be released."

"..You promise? I can't imagine someone like you enjoying this, but..you won't hurt him after he breaks, will you?"

"No, I won't." Ink was lying; I had already been broken beyond repair.. "You have my word."

"Thanks, Ink.."

"Of course."

I was alone..

~

"You're so sensitive!" Ink laughed as he tainted my soul with his cruel touch. "You really hate this, don't you?"

I couldn't speak; my tears spoke for me. He wasn't supposed to touch my soul! It was against every known monster law! My soul was supposed to be pure..he was tainting my being..I couldn't stop him..

"Poor little Dust, so helpless; you really need help to stop me.." Ink ran his fingers across my soul; he didn't even care about me.. "Too bad there is no one to help you!"

I was tainted.. 

~

"I never knew a skeleton could respond so well to choking.." Ink hummed as he pulled on my leash. "Welp, Learn something new every day!"

I could feel my vertebrae cracking..why couldn't he let go?! I wanted my family! I wanted someone! Anyone! Why was nobody coming?! I collapsed on the floor as Ink finally let go of my leash; I believed he had broken my spine..it hurt so much..

"Oh, did I do it again?" Ink noticed that I wasn't moving very much as he loosened my collar. "You're too fragile for this..maybe we can just keep you like this overnight! I'll be asleep, Dust; I'll heal you in the morning..or maybe tomorrow afternoon, if I'm feeling up to it."

I was neglected..

~

"What if Ink finds out?" One asked.

"He can't undo it after we're done!" Another laughed.

"Come on, hold him still!" Someone said.

"Like he'll ever truly pay for his crimes!" The second was still laughing. "Let's get this over with."

"Here's to justice." What was that sizzling sound?

I heard laughing as I screamed; pain was consuming my arm..what was going on?! I had been blindfolded..what were they doing to me?! Ten minutes later, Ink was inspecting the star that had been burned onto me.

I was branded..

~

I couldn't see..everything was blurry. I couldn't hear anything..where was I? 

"Dust?" Ink called. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded slowly..I was starting to regain myself.

"I guess that injection doesn't work, either." Ink shrugged. "Pity. Oh, well, maybe next time. In any case, would you like to start our session?"

I just bowed my skull; it wouldn't have mattered if I had said no.

"Great!" Ink pulled my leash and slammed me against a wall.

I was broken..

~~~

I opened my eyesockets with a start, looking around; I was in..Starstruck's room? I brought a hand up to my neck; nothing was there. There was no collar, no leash, no devices to keep me awake at night..just bones. With a relieved sigh, I lay back in the bed that the Outertale brothers had allowed me to sleep in; it was better than a hard floor. Ever since Ink had broken me, my dusty nightmares hadn't visited me; they had been replaced with visions of the torture that I had been put through. Every night..it was varied..my mind would show me memories from that time; I wanted the dusty nightmares back! When Ink had finally let me go, the Outertale brothers offered to let me stay with them, since I didn't have a home; they were really nice. They even gave me new clothes, since Ink had burned my old ones! I wanted to go home to Nightmare, though..he would have helped me more than the Outertale brothers would ever be able to. I frowned, sitting up in the bed; Starstruck had allowed me to share his room, since he didn't want me to sleep in Outer's "messy wasteland"; he reminded me of Paps..Paps is the best. I just wanted my family back..

After stretching for a moment, I got out of bed and put on the purple jacket that the Outertale brothers had bought for me; Outer's clothes were too large for me, and they didn't want me to feel like I was being left out. I appreciated the gesture, and the jacket was fairly comfortable; I had repaid the favor by carving them little figurines, and they seemed content with them. When I was ready for whatever faced me, I left the room to walk downstairs; I wished I could have made a portal home, but I couldn't remove the magic suppressor that had been placed on my wrist. At least it wasn't my neck..that wouldn't have been healthy for my mental state. I found that the swap brothers were visiting downstairs; they were speaking with Outer and Starstruck at the moment. They smiled when they noticed my presence.

"Hello, Dust!" The swapped Sans spoke up first, waving; I waved back, albeit timidly.

"Sorry about the unexpectedness." The swapped Papyrus apologized. "We didn't expect you to be sleeping."

"I-it's okay.." I sat down in a chair next to the couch. "I-I'm sorry.."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for!" The swapped Sans put a hand on my shoulder; I flinched back anxiously. "Oh, did I do something wrong?"

"Dust doesn't like being touched.." Outer explained. "It, uh, gives him..bad memories.."

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"I-it's fine.." I pulled my hood down farther; I didn't want to be with these people..I wanted my family!

"Does this happen often?" The swapped Papyrus questioned. 

"Unfortunately.." Outer sighed. "He still doesn't trust us not to hurt him, but I think he might be coming around to Star; he was close to his brother.."

"I honestly expected something different..he doesn't act at all like I would have guessed."

"He's been broken, remember? He doesn't see the world like he used to..or like any of us do now.."

"Does he have any problems aside from the obvious?"

"He's been having recurring nightmares..I don't know how many times he's woken us up in the middle of the night pleading for someone to help him..it's depressing.."

"More than a normal judge?"

"Heh, judges have nightmares, but not these nightmares..judge might destroy a room, but he seems more controlled; I think he's trained himself not to use attacks to fend off nightmares, making his only possible option to hope someone wakes him up before it gets too bad."

"If it does?"

"..."

"We can handle it.."

"..Let's just say he couldn't wake up..for the entire day.."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but we had to use some pretty advanced magic to force him awake..we try to wake him up as soon as we can if he can't do it himself..we might rig something to wake him up automatically if he starts moving too much."

"Speaking of Nightmare.."

"He wants to go back, but he knows he can't." Outer paused for a moment. "We've discovered that Nightmare doesn't brainwash his followers; they do it willingly, and they're treated extremely well."

"Why would he want to go back to a life that hurts others?"

"We don't push him to talk about things. In this state, he would tell us anything, but we want him to know that he's safe in our care; we don't and won't take advantage of his weaknesses, no matter how vital the information may be. If he wants to tell us, that's great, but if he doesn't, we're not pushing him."

"Understandable. What about Ink?" The swapped Papyrus didn't expect me to flinch so harshly at the name, but I did.

"Don't use that word!" Starstruck warned. "He doesn't like it!"

"I'm sorry!" The swapped Papyrus was unsettled by my reaction, but I calmed down once I had made sure that Ink wasn't in the room..everything was fine..

"I didn't know that In.." The swapped Sans held his word for a second. "-digo..indigo..I didn't know that indigo was, um, such a nice color!"

"Right.." The swapped Papyrus nodded. "So how does he feel about..indigo?"

"Are we seriously using a filler word?" Outer was unimpressed.

"Would you rather we just said his name?"

"I guess not.." Outer sighed. "He's scared stiff of the..'color.' Whenever he hears its name, the least he does is what you saw; the most we've seen is.."

"Yes?"

"He..went into convulsions.."

"Oh dear.."

"He's only seen this 'color' once since he left, but he was badly shaken by the end of the small encounter, even if he wasn't harmed in the least.."

"I assume he wasn't treated well in indigo's care.."

"The guy was sent there to be tortured, and indigo held up his side of the deal; he treated him exactly how he said he was going to treat him, and that's all."

"How exactly was that?"

"Neither of them are willing to go into specifics; indigo just wants to forget about the entire thing, and Dust is too badly scarred to talk about it without having memories." 

"Does Dust have any personal feelings toward it?"

"Only fear..that's all we've seen since he came here; as he said he would, indigo treated him worse than anyone should ever be treated, and he's more than paid off his debt to society. Our job is to pick up the pieces and help him to fit in with the rest of us so he can have a normal life."

"Is there any way we could help?" 

"I don't know yet; there could be so many variables to this situation.."

"Well, if you need us, we'll be here as soon as we can."

"Thanks."

"Of course."

"Dust?" Outer looked to me.

"Y-yes?" I tried to curb my shaking; that was rude..shaking was rude, and I didn't want to be rude..

"We've invited the swap brothers to stay over for lunch; are you okay with them joining us?"

I glanced at the swap brothers for a moment; they didn't seem like they wanted to hurt me..I nodded slowly..I hoped they were nice..

"All right, then, Dust." Outer was content with my answer. "Well, Star's made some spaghetti again; I hope you don't mind."

"In a world like this, it's a literal crime to dislike spaghetti or tacos." The swapped Papyrus chuckled.

"Tacos are better!" The swapped Sans declared.

"Sure." Outer didn't think so.

"I shall procure the spaghetti!" Starstruck proclaimed. "Dust, would you have the honor of assisting the Sensational Starstruck?"

I nodded silently, going to help him; I didn't see much of a choice. I knew the Outertale brothers meant no harm, but I didn't want to risk being wrong and stepping into some sort of trap..I didn't want to be hurt again! I just wanted my family back; they would have helped me! I knew that I didn't usually ask for help, but I had been pushed past my limit. I wanted to ask for help, but I couldn't trust anyone but my family, since they were the only ones who I had known well! Not even the entire multiverse would be able to replace my family! I didn't say much during lunch; I had no need to. When the meal ended, the swap brothers left, and I was alone with the Outertale brothers once again. I knew I could trust them, but I didn't want to; they might have still betrayed my trust, and if they did, I didn't want to be taken off guard by it. I decided instead to expect them to hit me at every turn; it was safer that way, and if they betrayed me, I wouldn't have been completely unprepared. I still yearned for the day when I would be reunited with my family; I wanted that day..

I needed that day..

~~~chapter end woot~~~

Dust bean unhappy :(

Thanks for reading my unhappy writing!

Bye!